Culturomics revealed the bacterial constituents of the microbiota of a 10-year-old laboratory culture of planarian species S. mediterranea

AbstractThe planarian species Schmidtea mediterranea is a flatworm living in freshwater that is used in the research laboratory as a model to study developmental and regeneration mechanisms, as well as antibacterial mechanisms. However, the cultivable microbial repertoire of the microbes comprising its microbiota remains unknown. Here, we characterized the bacterial constituents of a 10-year-old laboratory culture of planarian species S. mediterranea via culturomics analysis. We isolated 40 cultivable bacterial species, including 1 unidentifiable species. The predominant phylum is Proteobacteria, and the most common genus is Pseudomonas. We discovered that parts of the bacterial flora of the planarian S. mediterranea can be classified as fish pathogens and opportunistic human pathogens.

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Effectiveness of 0.66% Povidone-Iodine Eye Drops on Ocular Surface Flora before Cataract Surgery: A Nationwide Microbiological Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10102198 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2198

Author(s):

Rosario Musumeci ◽

Pasquale Troiano ◽

Marianna Martinelli ◽

Matteo Piovella ◽

Claudio Carbonara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cataract Surgery ◽

Ocular Surface ◽

Povidone Iodine ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Bacterial Load ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Eye Drops ◽

Microbiological Analysis ◽

Contralateral Eye

A multicenter, nonrandomized, prospective, controlled study was conducted to evaluate, as perioperative prophylactic treatment, the anti-infective effectiveness of 0.66% povidone-iodine eye drops (IODIM®) against the bacterial flora of the conjunctival surface of patients who undergo cataract surgery. Eye drops containing 0.66% povidone-iodine were applied to the eye undergoing cataract surgery; the untreated contralateral eye was used as control. One hundred and twenty patients set to receive unilateral cataract surgery were enrolled in 5 Italian Ophthalmology Centers and pretreated for three days with 0.66% povidone-iodine eye drops. The contralateral eye, used as control, was left untreated. Conjunctival swabs of both eyes were collected at the baseline visit and after three days of treatment, just before the cataract surgery. A qualitative and quantitative microbiological analysis of bacterial presence was evaluated by means of bacterial culture, followed by identification. Methicillin resistance determination was also performed on staphylococci isolates. Bacterial load before and after treatment of the eye candidate for cataract surgery was evaluated and compared to the untreated eye. A reduction or no regrowth on the culture media of the bacterial load was observed in 100% of the study subjects. A great heterogenicity of bacterial species was found. The 0.66% povidone-iodine eye drops, used for three days prior to cataract surgery, were effective in reducing the conjunctival bacterial load. The 0.66% povidone-iodine eye drops (IODIM®) might represent a valid perioperative prophylactic antiseptic adjuvant treatment to protect the ocular surface from microbial contamination in preparation of the surgical procedure.

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Bioactive Compounds from Marine Sponges: Fundamentals and Applications

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md19050246 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 246

Author(s):

Disha Varijakzhan ◽

Jiun-Yan Loh ◽

Wai-Sum Yap ◽

Khatijah Yusoff ◽

Rabiha Seboussi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bioactive Compounds ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

The Novel ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

Fish Pathogens ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Theonella Swinhoei ◽

Ability To Act ◽

Sessile Invertebrates

Marine sponges are sessile invertebrates that can be found in temperate, polar and tropical regions. They are known to be major contributors of bioactive compounds, which are discovered in and extracted from the marine environment. The compounds extracted from these sponges are known to exhibit various bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antitumor and general cytotoxicity. For example, various compounds isolated from Theonella swinhoei have showcased various bioactivities, such as those that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. In this review, we discuss bioactive compounds that have been identified from marine sponges that showcase the ability to act as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-malarial and antifungal agents against human pathogens and fish pathogens in the aquaculture industry. Moreover, the application of such compounds as antimicrobial agents in other veterinary commodities, such as poultry, cattle farming and domesticated cats, is discussed, along with a brief discussion regarding the mode of action of these compounds on the targeted sites in various pathogens. The bioactivity of the compounds discussed in this review is focused mainly on compounds that have been identified between 2000 and 2020 and includes the novel compounds discovered from 2018 to 2021.

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BACTERICIDAL FUNCTION OF HUMAN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.50.2.264 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 264-270

Author(s):

Paul G. Quie

Keyword(s):

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Chronic Granulomatous Disease ◽

Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Granulomatous Disease ◽

Serum Factors ◽

Gram Negative ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Serum from most normal persons contains specific antibodies which react with common bacterial species preparing their surfaces so that phagocytosis by leukocytes can take place. The Fab part of these antibodies reacts with immunologic specificity with antigens on the surface of bacteria. Another part of the immunoglobulin molecule termed the Fc portion is activated during the attachment of the Fab portion to bacteria and becomes a site for attachment of bacteria to receptors on the surface of phagocytic cells. This activity is greatly amplified by heat-labile serum factors. Normally bacteria are rapidly killed by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes after engulfment occurs. However staphylococci and gram-negative species of bacteria survive in the leukocytes of patients with the syndrome "Chronic Granulomatous Disease of Childhood." These patients have suffered recurrent severe infections with bacterial species that are part of the body's resident bacterial flora. By contrast these patients are not at increased risk to infection from such pyogenic bacterial species as group A streptococci or pneumococci. The leukocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease produce little hydrogen peroxide during phagocytosis. Catalase-producing staphylococci and gram-negative bacteria are not killed, but hydrogen peroxide-producing streptococci and pneumococci are killed. A normal metabolic response to phagocytosis as well as release of lysosonial factors are essential for the bactericidal activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

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The functional ClpXP protease of Chlamydia trachomatis requires distinct clpP genes from separate genetic loci

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-50505-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stefan Pan ◽

Imran T. Malik ◽

Dhana Thomy ◽

Beate Henrichfreise ◽

Peter Sass

Keyword(s):

Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

Bacterial Physiology ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Clp Proteases ◽

Obligate Intracellular Pathogen ◽

Antibacterial Target ◽

Insight Into

Abstract Clp proteases play a central role in bacterial physiology and, for some bacterial species, are even essential for survival. Also due to their conservation among bacteria including important human pathogens, Clp proteases have recently attracted considerable attention as antibiotic targets. Here, we functionally reconstituted and characterized the ClpXP protease of Chlamydia trachomatis (ctClpXP), an obligate intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of widespread sexually transmitted diseases in humans. Our in vitro data show that ctClpXP is formed by a hetero-tetradecameric proteolytic core, composed of two distinct homologs of ClpP (ctClpP1 and ctClpP2), that associates with the unfoldase ctClpX via ctClpP2 for regulated protein degradation. Antibiotics of the ADEP class interfere with protease functions by both preventing the interaction of ctClpX with ctClpP1P2 and activating the otherwise dormant proteolytic core for unregulated proteolysis. Thus, our results reveal molecular insight into ctClpXP function, validating this protease as an antibacterial target.

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Respiratory Bacteria Stabilize and Promote Airborne Transmission of Influenza A Virus

mSystems ◽

10.1128/msystems.00762-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Hannah M. Rowe ◽

Brandi Livingston ◽

Elisa Margolis ◽

Amy Davis ◽

Victoria A. Meliopoulos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza A Virus ◽

Influenza A ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Transmission Dynamics ◽

Environmental Stability ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Airborne Transmission ◽

Content Type ◽

Mortality And Morbidity

Infection with influenza A virus (IAV), especially when complicated with a secondary bacterial infection, is a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. Gaining a greater understanding of the transmission dynamics of IAV is important during seasonal IAV epidemics and in the event of a pandemic. Direct bacterium-virus interactions are a recently appreciated aspect of infectious disease biology. Direct interactions between IAV and specific bacterial species of the human upper respiratory tract were found to promote the stability and infectivity of IAV during desiccation stress. Viral environmental stability is an important aspect during transmission, suggesting a potential role for bacterial respiratory communities in IAV transmission. Airborne transmission of IAV was abrogated upon depletion of nasal bacterial flora with topical antibiotics. This defect could be functionally complemented by S. pneumoniae coinfection. These data suggest that bacterial coinfection may be an underappreciated aspect of IAV transmission dynamics.

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High Resolution Melt Assays to Detect and Identify Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Clostridioides difficile Bacteria

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8040561 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 561

Author(s):

Allison C. Bender ◽

Jessica A. Faulkner ◽

Katherine Tulimieri ◽

Thomas H. Boise ◽

Kelly M. Elkins

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

High Resolution ◽

Bacillus Cereus ◽

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

High Resolution Melt ◽

E Coli ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Over one hundred bacterial species have been determined to comprise the human microbiota in a healthy individual. Bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Clostridioides difficile, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are found inside of the human body and B. cereus and E. coli are also found on the skin. These bacteria can act as human pathogens upon ingestion of contaminated food or water, if they enter an open wound, or antibiotics, and environment or stress can alter the microbiome. In this study, we present new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) high-resolution melt (HRM) assays to detect and identify the above microorganisms. Amplified DNA from C. difficile, E. coli, B. cereus, and V. parahaemolyticus melted at 80.37 ± 0.45 °C, 82.15 ± 0.37 °C, 84.43 ± 0.50 °C, and 86.74 ± 0.65 °C, respectively. A triplex PCR assay was developed to simultaneously detect and identify E. coli, B. cereus, and V. parahaemolyticus, and cultured microorganisms were successfully amplified, detected, and identified. The assays demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and robustness in testing.

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Immunoglobulin- and complement-coated bacteria in pus from peritonsillar abscesses

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215100141301 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 112 (7) ◽

pp. 634-638 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Markus Lilja ◽

Simo Räisänen ◽

Lars-Eric Stenfors

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Anaerobic Bacteria ◽

Inflammatory Cells ◽

Immunofluorescence Assay ◽

Peritonsillar Abscess ◽

Secretory Iga ◽

Intracellular Bacteria ◽

Protective Mechanisms ◽

Aerobic And Anaerobic

AbstractFifty-five samples of pus were collected from 51 acute, non-perforated, two spontaneously ruptured and two recurrent peritonsillar abscesses (35 males and 18 females; median age 18 years) and analysed regarding (i) aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (standard culturing), (ii) morphology of bacteria and inflammatory cells (direct microscopy of acridine orange-stained material), and (iii) the percentage of bacteria coated with immunoglobulins IgG, secretory IgA (SIgA) andIgM and complement cleavage product C3b (immunofluorescence assay). Seventy-one per cent of the abscesses harboured a mixed bacterial flora of various aerobes and anaerobes. In none of the cases with a single bacterial species (27 per cent) could immunoglobulin- or complement-coated bacteria be found. In abscesses with a mixed flora, 18 per cent harboured IgG-coated, 15 per cent SIgA-coated, five per cent IgM-coated and five per cent C3b-coated bacteria, respectively. All pus samples contained inflammatory cells in abundance but they were mostly deformed and only occasionally could intracellular bacteria be recognized. Insufficient immunoglobulin-coating of bacteria might be an important aetiopathogenic factor in the development of a peritonsillar abscess. Bactericide in the abscesses is accomplished chiefly by protective mechanisms not dependent on antigen recognition by antibodies.

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Effect of a pesticide pentachlorophenol on soil microflora. III. Growth rates as an index of pesticide resistance of bacterial groups isolated from soil

Canadian Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.1139/m87-141 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 33 (9) ◽

pp. 819-822 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kyo Sato

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Relative Growth Rate ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Soil Microflora ◽

Pesticide Resistance ◽

Relative Growth ◽

Bacterial Groups

Pentachlorophenol resistance was investigated in bacteria isolated from glycine- or water-percolated soils where the bacterial flora was modified by the addition of pentachloropenol. The strains isolated from the water-percolated soil amended with PCP had the highest resistance, and the addition of glycine to the percolated soil weakened the resistance. The strains from the glycine-percolated soil without pentachlorophenol had a medium degree of resistance, and the resistance of the strains from the water-percolated soil without PCP was the lowest. The bacterial groups were sorted taxonomically; differences in pentachloropenol resistance were correlated with taxonomic groupings. Relative growth rate in the presence of pentachlorophenol was proposed as a useful means to distinguish among the bacterial species.

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Publisher Correction: Chryseobacterium schmidteae sp. nov. a novel bacterial species isolated from planarian Schmidtea mediterranea

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-97051-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Luis Johnson Kangale ◽

Didier Raoult ◽

Eric Ghigo ◽

Pierre-Edouard Fournier

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Species ◽

Schmidtea Mediterranea

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INDIGENOUS, NORMAL, AND AUTOCHTHONOUS FLORA OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.122.1.67 ◽

1965 ◽

Vol 122 (1) ◽

pp. 67-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 167

Author(s):

René Dubos ◽

Russell W. Schaedler ◽

Richard Costello ◽

Philippe Hoet

Keyword(s):

Gastrointestinal Tract ◽

Large Intestine ◽

Animal Species ◽

Healthy Adult ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Evolutionary Development ◽

Adult Mice ◽

Large Numbers ◽

Characteristic Localization

The bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract differs qualitatively and quantitatively from one colony of mice to another. Certain components of this flora, however, are always present in large and approximately constant numbers in healthy adult mice, irrespective of the colony from which the animals are derived. Lactobacilli and anaerobic streptococci are extremely numerous in the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine. In contrast, organisms of the bacteroides group proliferate only in the large intestine. These three bacterial species persist at approximately constant levels in their characteristic localization throughout the life span of healthy animals. They are closely associated with the walls of the digestive organs, and are probably concentrated in the mucous layer. A few experiments carried out with rats and young swine indicate that lactobacilli are also present in large numbers in the stomach of these animal species. It is suggested that some of the components of the gastrointestinal flora have become symbiotic with their hosts in the course of evolutionary development and thus constitute a true autochthonous flora. The other components of the indigenous flora are acquired early in life either through accidental contact or because they are ubiquitous in the environment. The "normal" flora is that which is always present in the environment of the animal colony under consideration.

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